Review of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Bradley W — 22 Oct 2017

The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest films ever made, and a masterpiece that put Frank Darabont on the map. This tale shows us the life of two men behind prison walls and how their friendship gives both of them the hope and stability they need to survive.

This is a drama that stands above all others, giving us a real human film about imprisonment of the mental and physical. It may be based on a Stephen King short story, but this film is clearly an original work that Darabont brilliantly delivers without flaw.

The acting is phenomenal, with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman completely owning their roles and giving the performances of their careers. It was the movie that made everybody truly see their deeper and more emotional impact as actors, with Freeman's calm and soothing voice inspiring several more years of directors wanting him to narrate their films.

It would be hard to find any movie better than this, giving us everything from heart, tragedy, love and hatred. It handles all of these things with perfect balance and giving us characters that have lived in my heart since the first time I experienced this art.

Andy Dufresne on the outside looks like a quiet and stuck up man, but quickly we see that he is just a good man who won't let his circumstances destroy him. Red is a lifer in prison who doesn't think anything of Andy at first sight, but just through their first conversation together they form a good friendship that slowly develops into a bond stronger than any bromance.

They both give each other something to hang onto, a friend that both of them can count on any always be there for. That is something hard to find behind prison walls, and in the end it's what saves both of them.

Frank Darabont was new to the game and had never directed before, which is incredible to see a man with no experience make such a grand scale drama that looks and feels incredible. It came out nowhere during its release and nobody saw this movie because of the strange title and little information about it, but after two decades it has become widely known as one of the greatest films ever made.

If I were trapped on any island and given a choice to watch any movie the rest of my life, you can bet your life that I would choose this in a heartbeat. Its a movie that I always watch when its on TV, a movie that always gives me hope when I am at my lowest and a movie that has stood the test of time thanks to its continuing inspiration and love.

This is not a prison drama, its a testament to life and why there is always a reason to keep going. If you haven't seen this movie, you need to leave right now and go see it. The Shawshank Redemption is a marvelous movie that has changed lives and caused people to rejoice, and I will never forget it.